The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the Ministry of Ayush, on Friday concluded the three-day international seminar Saushrutam 2026, bringing together leading experts from India and abroad to celebrate the surgical legacy of Acharya Sushruta while promoting collaboration between Ayurveda and modern surgical sciences.
Organised from July 15 to 17 at AIIA, New Delhi, the seminar was preceded by a pre-conference workshop on July 14 and coincided with Sushruta Jayanti.
The valedictory session was attended by National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Chairperson Vd. Maneesha Kothekar and South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri as chief guests. NCISM Board of Ethics and Registration President Dr. Sushrut Kanaujia and Padma Shri Prof. Manoranjan Sahu were the guests of honour.
Addressing the gathering, Kothekar said seminars such as Saushrutam should be organised regularly as they provide valuable exposure to students and strengthen academic and professional engagement in Ayurveda. She said such initiatives are helping society recognise Ayurvedacharyas not only as physicians but also as skilled surgeons, while reaffirming the Commission’s support for promoting Ayurvedic education and practice.
AIIA Director Prof. (Vd.) P.K. Prajapati said the seminar was conceived as a global platform to facilitate scientific dialogue, promote evidence-based surgical practices, showcase technological innovations and celebrate the enduring surgical legacy of Acharya Sushruta. He said the initiative aims to strengthen academic collaboration between Ayurveda and modern surgical sciences while encouraging research and innovation.
Organising Chairman Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Badwe said AIIA remains committed to improving the quality of Ayurvedic surgical practices and strengthening the surgical fraternity through international collaborations.
During the valedictory session, the institute felicitated international resource persons for their contributions to the seminar.
A key highlight of the event was the renewal of AIIA’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Delhi for another five years, reaffirming the institutions’ commitment to collaborative research and innovation.
The institute also released the third edition of Ayushvallari, the annual Hindi magazine of its Rajbhasha Department, along with Netra Rogya: Samanya Jankari aur Niwaran, a public awareness publication on eye diseases. A souvenir of Saushrutam 2026 was also unveiled.
The seminar witnessed participation from experts representing Thailand, Israel, Austria, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Greece and India, who shared their expertise across various domains of surgery and healthcare.
More than 30 national experts, including Padma Shri Prof. M. Sahu and Padma Shri Prof. K.K. Thakral, participated alongside faculty members from institutions such as AIIA, the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, and the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar.
Modern surgical experts from AIIMS, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, Government Medical College Agartala and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, also participated, facilitating multidisciplinary discussions between Ayurveda and contemporary surgical sciences.
According to the Ministry of Ayush, Saushrutam 2026 marked another step towards integrating traditional knowledge with modern scientific advancements and advancing evidence-based, holistic healthcare.
